You definitely made good points...I suppose when I think of people visitng my home, it's not friends just popping in. Since I live far away from my family, that is who I think of when I think of guests in my home. When I am a guest at someone else's home, I would not smoke in their house or expect them to accept Duncan without restrictions. So I think it works both ways, you have to be a good guest and a good host and the respect should flow back and forth...
Family is different to me though...My father smokes and as much as I know it's bad for him and want him to quit, my desire to see him and spend time in my home and feel comfortable is more important to me therefore, he can smoke in my home. He has never visited my brother's house and I know it is because he would feel awkward and put out and out of place having to go outside to smoke. It would set him apart and make him worry about his next cigarette. As a smoker (who doesn't smoke in her OWN home irronically!) I know how that feels and it's not pleasant.
When we were children, my father did a lot of traveling and his business associates (mostly from Romania) would come to the USA and stay with us. I guess that is just how it was done 25 years ago? They would smoke cigarettes and pipes and cigars and drink vodka and stay up half the night enjoying all the luxuries of an American home. The family and the animals would all pile into sleeping bags in my parents bedroom and let them have the run of the house and enjoy themselves. They always cleaned up after themselves and were thankful for the hospitality. I just assumed that that was the way it was done..I would never want anyone ever to feel that they can't come to my home because of any reason whatsoever and when they are here I want them to be themselves and be happy and feel at home. Yes, there are limits as to what I will put up with. For example, I could never let someone with a cat come here and expect the cat to get the run of the house while Duncan is locked up but they can bring their cat and keep it in their room of course. I'm pretty liberal so I can't think of any other situation that would upset me...LOL!!
My grandmother is also a clean freak Jessica! Everything in her home has a place and it is perfectly arranged and beautiful and always has been. But she also loves animals, especially large dogs and Duncan is welcome there. I don't bring him because she moved recently and lives in a very small home with TONS of valuables and I just know that Duncan would knock everything off the tables and make a total mess!! LOL!!
It all depends I guess on who the guest is and what the particular circumstance are in each case.
In Audrey's situation, since the cabin is 1/2 her family's and 1/2 her aunt and uncle's, I think she should have been allowed to have Zeke with her. It's family and a little bit of compromise goes a long way.